Toning Gilded Surfaces with Milk Paint

Jim Hingst describes how to tone a gilded woodcarving with milk paint (also called casein paint).

To tone a gilded piece, some artisans will apply a wash of casein milk paint to the piece and then dab off the excess with a natural sponge.  Other artists will abrade off the excess of the dried milk paint by rubbing the surface with rottenstone.  Or you can do a combination of both techniques.

After carving a scorpion, I decided to gild it and use milk paint to tone the piece.  Below is a series of photos, that show the process, step-by-step.

After carving the scorpion (shown above) from a  1.5”x 10” x 10” sheet of basswood, I lightly sanded the piece. Before painting, I wiped the surface down with a tack rag.

 
Note: If you are a woodcarver, I highly recommend buying your basswood from Heinecke Lumber (www.heineckewood.com) in Wisconsin. You can’t beat the prices or the quality.  And if you need a custom size or shape, they will turn the job out in a matter of a couple of days.

Before gilding, I primed the scorpion with red gilding primer from Sepp Leaf Products.  The color of the primer simulates red clay bole.

The next step is to apply the metal leaf. I used LeFranc oil 12-hour size, which is almost idiot proof. Just brush it on with at stiff fitch late in the afternoon. Make sure that the size doesn’t pool in the recesses.   By the time morning rolls around, the size will have come to tack and you are good to go. In the photo above I am tamping metal leaf into the surface of the carving with a soft, natural hair mop brush.

After brushing away the excess metal leaf, I am ready to tone the surface with an earthtone milk paint.

After you brush on the milk paint, wipe away the excess with a sponge or soft rag. After the paint dries, you can use rottenstone, to further abrade away the toning on the high spots of the carving, leaving the darker paint in the recessed areas.

About Casein Paint: Got Milk? 

Have you never heard of milk paint? It just may be the first type of paint that man used. To make casein paint or milk paint, all you need is milk, pigments and water and a few other ingredients, such as vinegar, ammonia, lime,  depending on your recipe. 

 

Casein paints have been around ever since cavemen decorated their tools and weapons 10,000 years ago. Scientists know that the ancients used these paints, because their art has survived for thousands of years. The longevity of these paintings should allay your questions and fears about the durability of  these water-based paints. Although casein paints are susceptible to damage shortly after painting, once the paint thoroughly hardens it definitely is tough stuff.

 

Some of the more notable examples of casein paintings were the cave paintings of stone age artists and the colorful decorations on the tomb walls in the Egyptian pyramids. That’s really ‘Ol Skool’ painting! Not only did casein paint predate egg tempera, it was commonly used up until about 150 years ago. 

 

From the colonial period in the United States until the Civil War casein paints were widely used for house painting. All a painter needed to carry with him when he went on the road were some pigments, lime and his brushes. All of the other ingredients that the painter needed were readily available in the home.

 

If milk paints could be made from scratch and were extremely durable, why don’t most people know about them today?  During the Civil War someone invented the paint can. A can of paint back then consisted of pigments mixed in with oil as the binder or resin. To make paint all you needed to do was mix in the solvent, such as turpentine.  Viola! Instant paint. It was easier to make than instant pudding. No fuss. No muss. And it was easy enough for the Do-It-Yourselfer to use.  Because paint in a can was so easy to use, popularity of milk paint dramatically declined.

Interest in milk paint revived slightly as consumers became more environmentally conscious. Milk paint was the first green paint. It consisted of water,  a natural resin and organic pigments. Best yet it contained no VOCs. The old timers, of course, never heard of the green movement or VOCs. And neither did we, not until the 1970’s, when it was reintroduced to the market for the   flower power generation. While you can still make your own paint, if you are so inclined, it is much easier today to order it on-line from an art supply store, such as Dick Blick (www.dickblick.com).  

Additional Gilding Articles

Traditional Water Gilding
Using Isinglass for Glass Gilding
The Art of Glue Chipped Glass Signage

Surface Prep for Glass Gilding

Water Size Recipe for Glass Gilding

Two Tone Glass Gilding

Gilder's Tool Box

Using Paint Mask for Surface Gilding

Mold Making & Casting Sign Appliques

Toning Metal Leaf with Liver of Sulfur

Where to Buy Liver of Sulfur Gel

Update on Society of Gilders Charity Project 2012

Gorilla Glue Gilding

NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS.  Five new videos have been added to RTape’s  YouTube channel. The following is a description of the new videos:

Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click here to view the Squeegee Technique video.

Wet Applications. Dry applications are typically recommended for most vinyl applications. For those exceptions to the rule, this instructional video explains the right way to perform a wet application. Click here to view the Wet Applications video.

Introducing AT65. Installing multiple color overlays with a paper application tape is not much easier than driving in the dark without your headlights. For these challenging applications, RTape developed its AT65, the universal high tack film. This video clip explains the features and benefits of this remarkable new film application tape. Click here to view the Introducing AT65 video.

Application of Window Graphics. Installing vinyl graphics on glass can be challenging, because the adhesive aggressively grabs onto this high energy surface. Repositioning graphics on window is generally difficult, if not impossible. This instructional video explains how to dry apply window graphics right the first time. It also describes the necessary steps required for surface preparation. Click here to view the Application of Window Graphics video.

Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films.  Because frosted window films are highly textured, transferring cut vinyl graphics can be problematic. This video provides direction in selection of the right application tape and how to apply these films quickly, easily and without problems. Click here to view the Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films video.

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2015 Jim Hingst